Retouching of photographic images



June 21, 1960 F. R. BERG 2,941,462

RETOUCHING 0F PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES Filed Nov. 4, 1957 FIGLB-LO F G 4 I. FIG. 5. 1B 26 e2 64 1 n FLORENCE ROBERT BERG ATTORNEY INVENTOR United States Patentf) RETOUCHING F PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES Florence Robert Berg, 4821 S. 28th St., Arlington, Va.

Filed Nov. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 694,412

1 Claim. (Cl. 95-101) This invention relates to photographic processes and apparatus, and it particularly relates to the art of retouching photographic images in order to remove blemishes, marks, etc.

The art of retouching in the photographic field has, heretofore, been generally limited to the use of vibrating devices which distribute graphite powder over the areas to be retouched. In some cases, dyes have been substituted for the graphite. Abrasives, chemical solutions and etching knives of course are also used. However, in all cases, after development has taken place, the graphite, dye, abrasives, etc., is applied to the negative in order to cover up the defects. This is a rather tedious and painstaking process which requires the utmost skill. It is usually beyond the capacities of most amateur photographers and is often even too difficult for some professionals.

The present invention is not intended to replace the use of the vibrating retouching mechanisms but rather to supplement them in such manner that anyone can quickly and easily produce a correction of local areas of the photographic image. This constitutes the primary object of the present invention.

Another object of the present invention is to enable almost anyone to quickly and easily produce desired tones on local areas of the print while development takes place.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for quickly and easily elfecting any desired background eifect for the photographic image.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved method and apparatus, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a device embodying the present invention, the device being shown in use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a side sectional view, with certain parts being shown in elevation, of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of the light circuit.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing two views of a single photograph, one before and one after retouching.

Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of a photograph having a background of .a shape and size determined by the device of the present invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown in Fig. l a retouching device, generally designated 10, which is being held over a photographic image 12 while the image is being developed in a developing solution held in pan 14.

The device comprises an elongated, cylindrical barrel 16 having an incandescent lamp 18 screwed into a socket 20 at one end of the barrel and a projection lens assembly 2,941,462 Patented June 21, 1960 22 at the opposite, open end of the barrel. The lamp 18 is connected at one side through the rheostat 24 to the source of electrical energy, not shown, and at its other side, the lamp 18 is connected through a micro switch 26 to the source of energy, as best shown in Fig. 4. The micro switch 26 is provided in a housing 28 at the upper side of the barrel 16, near the rear end of the barrel and above the lamp 18, while the rheostat 24 is positioned in a housing 30 at the rear end of the barrel 16. A push button 32 operates the micro switch 26 while a hand knob 34, knurled for better grasping, is provided rearwardly of the device for operating the rheostat.

Within the barrel 16, in front of the lamp 18, are a pair of plane-convex condensing lenses 36. In front of these lenses 36 is a slot 38 in the barrel 16 for receiving a background-forming slide 40, to be described in greater detail hereafter. This slot 38 is positioned just to the rear of a variable iris diaphragm 42. The iris 42 is actuated by a pin 44 extending upwardly therefrom through a slot 46. The movement of the pin 44 in one direction along the slot 46 will act to open the iris while its opposite movement will act to close the iris.

At the front end of the barrel 16 is situated the aforementioned projection lens assembly 22 comprising a sleeve 48 at the front end of which is situated a project-ion lens device 50 which includes a front lens element 51, a rear lens element 52 and an adjustable iris diaphragm 53 between the two lens elements. An adjustment ring 54 is connected to the diaphragm 53 to adjust it when desired. The ring 54 is knurled for easier grasping.

The sleeve 48 is movable longitudinally of the barrel 16 by a threaded pin 55 extending through and movable along a slot 56 in the barrel 16. The pin 55 is held in adjusted position in the slot 56 by an internally threaded nut 58 provided with a knurled head for grasping.

In operation, in order to adjust the focus of the projection lens, the nut 58 is loosened and the sleeve 48 is slid along to the desired position, after which the nut 58 is tightened on pin 55 to hold the sleeve in place. For further fine adjustment, the adjustment ring 54 is operated to adjust the diaphragm 53 into the proper position.

In order to darken light areas of a photographic image to the desired tone, light is applied directly to the defective areas of the photographic image while the print is being processed by inspection in the developing tray. This simple process produces the same results as the tedious task of applying abrasives, chemical solutions or etching knives on the negative image in order to reduce the density of the silver deposit. Similarly, the elimination of any undesirable figure is effected by blocking out the image during the projection printing and the resultant highlight area is darkened to the desired tone by applying the light to this area while the print is being developed. In this manner, forexample, the arm 60 shown in picture 62 in Fig. 5 is eliminated in picture 64. This process of retouching can be performed in approximately one minute in comparison with hours or even days for the average amateur using any other known process.

In order to lighten dark areas, the paper negative process is preferably used. Corrections such as the elimination of circles under the eyes, undesirable lines, freckles, etc. are performed as follows: A positive print is made from the negative in the size desired for the final print. This positive print is inspected for defects such as dark lines which should be lightened or eliminated. A film positive is then made of the same size as the final print desired. This film positive should be prepared from a slow speed orthochromatic emulsion. The developer is of the ordinary commercial type with an anti-fog restrainer therein so as to permit more time for handling. The development of the film positive should, of course, take place under a red safe-light. After completion of development, a water shortstop is used and those areas which are to be darkened are painted with light by means of the device 10. Care should be taken at this point not to darken these areas excessively.

The above-described, slightly retouched, filmpositive is used to make'a paper negative by the contact printing process. While developing the paper negative, it will be noted that the defective dark areasappearing on the initial test print made from the original negativeappear light on the paper negative. The device is thereby used to darken these areas to the proper density by inspection.

The final positive print is made by contact printingwith the paper negative. Areas which were not sufliciently darkened on the film positive can be given the desired tone on this final print. This finalprint is then copied on filmto facilitate rapid reproduction of additional' copies having the same tonal gradations.

The: device 10 can also be used successfully on original film negatives of size 4x5 or larger. After fixing. the

negative, a slow-speed, color-blind emulsion is appliedto' the rear surface of the negative. After being dried, and while working under a red light, the device 10 is used to project its light through the original emulsion carrying the negative image. In this manner, the applied emulsion is exposed only in those areas which require correction by projecting the light from the device 10 upon those areas which inspection shows requires correction.

The iris 42 exposes a circular image field, the size of which is varied according to adjustment of the iris. If other geometrical background patterns are desired in place of the circular pattern, this is readily accomplished by inserting into the slot 38 a slide40 having an aperture of the desired shape and size. If this shape is a star, for example, the resultant photograph, such as indicated at 66 in Fig. 6, would have a star-like background 68.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

A photographic retouching device comprising an elongated tubular barrel, an incandescent lamp at one end of said barrel constituting the rear end thereof and an open end at the front end thereof, a rheostat connected to said lamp to vary the voltage supplied thereto from a source of electrical energy, a knob for controlling said rheostat mounted exteriorly of said one end of said barrel concentrically therewith, aswitch housing on said barrel, a miroswitch in said housing connected to said lamp for actuating same, a projection lens assembly at the front end ofisa id'ba'rrel; saidprojectio'n lens assembly including a slidable sleeve, a threaded pin on said sleeve, said barrel having a slot'therein through which said pin projects, a clamping nut on said pin for holding said pin in a selected position in said slot, a front lens element, a rear lens element, said lens elements being respectively forwardly andrearwardly convexed on their non cohfronting faces, an adjustable iris diaphragm between. said lens elements, a knurled rotatable adjustment ring. connected to said diaphragm and projecting forwardly out of the open front end of said barrel, apair of planoconvex condensing lenses fixed in said barrel adjacent said lamp, a second variable iris diaphragm in said barrel between said projectionlens assembly and said condensing lenses, a second pi-n connected to said second diaphragm, said barrel having a second slot therein to ac-' commodate said second pin, movement of said second pin;

serving to adjust said second diaphragm, and said-barrel havingv a third slot therein between said second iris diaphragm and said condensing lenses adapted for the re ception of a background forming slide;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,092,545 Snapp Apr. 7, 1914 1,436,503 Hughes Nov. 21,1922 2,085,732 Baxter July 6, 1937 2,273,360 Kidder Feb. 17,1942 2,784,304 Dircksen Mar. *1957 

